Verdict: Away win

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There will be quite a few football fans around the world hoping to see hosts Russia and red-hot Brazil in the 2018 World Cup final and Friday’s friendly at Luzhniki will serve as a good opportunity for both managers to see where their respective teams are some three months before the highly anticipated tournament is due to start.

Russia

Russia have been preparing for the World Cup finals on home soil for almost four years now, but the team are still far from the desired form and many believe they cannot be regarded as serious title contenders in spite of the expected vociferous support from the stands all over the country. Head coach Stanislav Cherchesov has tested plenty of more or less famous players since t…

Although an eye-catching run of form back in December might have had some tipping Tottenham as a legitimate title challenger, Spurs have come crashing back down to earth in 2021.

Hit with a deserved 3-0 defeat away at on Saturday evening and crashing out of the FA Cup thanks to that Goodison Park thriller last week, the pressure is firmly on Jose Mourinho s shoulders.

Freefalling down the Premier League table and losing five of their last six matchups across all competitions, off-field problems with both Gareth Bale and Dele Alli have highlighted the underlying issues in North London.

With drawing up a list of potential contenders that could take over from the former Manchester United boss, we have taken a look at the three leading candidates with the bookies.…

With the relentless schedule once again opening up in midweek, we have another stacked night on our hands. So, for those of you looking to stick on a Tuesday acca, we have searched far and wide to find you a couple of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.

Tuesday 23rd February

BST 19:00 Sunderland vs Fleetwood Town

Starting with Tuesday s hosts, while Sunderland might have been shocked by that 2-1 defeat against Shrewsbury earlier in the month, Lee Johnson s new squad have bounced back in an eye-catching fashion. Finding a route back into the play-off spots and with a Championship return at the top of their agenda, the former Bristol City boss saw his side put in a thumping display over the weekend. Eventually cruising their way to a 3-0 romp awa…

Tottenham travel to Stoke on Sunday knowing they need to win to keep them in the running for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Andre Villas-Boas side missed an opportunity to move above Arsenal into fourth with their draw against Chelsea on Wednesday so they will be keen to win against Stoke to lift them into UEFA Champions League contention.

With their Arsenal not playing until Tuesday, Tottenham know that victory over Tony Pulis side will see them move into fourth place and put the pressure back on their neighbours.

Tottenham s away form this season is only bettered in the Premier League by Manchester United and Arsenal, they have won nine times on their travels and picked up three points in two of their last three visits to Stoke.

Mousa Dembele …

Timo Werner s unproductive spell at Chelsea may be over after one season.

The Germany international only signed from RB Leipzig ahead of this season.

He has largely underwhelmed with five goals from 27 Premier League appearances.

TOP STORY – WERNER COULD LEAVE CHELSEA

Football Insider reports Werner is prepared to quit Chelsea less than 12 months into a bumper five-year contract.

Werner netted 28 Bundesliga goals for RB Leipzig in 2019-20 but that return has drastically fallen since moving to London.

It is said there is a growing expectation that Werner will leave in the next year or two, despite the arrival of countryman Thomas Tuchel, which has led to a slight upturn in form.

FI SOURCES!

Timo Werner may quit…

FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has outlined his vision to get the scandal-ridden governing body back to football .

Prince Ali will go up against Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa and Tokyo Sexwale to be the next FIFA president, with elections set for February 26.

He was defeated in his previous attempt to land FIFA s top job, losing out to Sepp Blatter last May before the long-serving incumbent announced his intention to step down as arrests of high-ranking officials marred the organisation s congress in Zurich.

Blatter and UEFA counterpart Michel Platini are now suspended from all football-related activity on account of a £1.3million FIFA payment authorised by Blatter to the former France captain in …

Andre Villas-Boas has not given up hope of finishing fourth in the Premier League this season.

In order for Tottenham to finish in the UEFA Champions League qualifying places, they must beat Sunderland in their final league game and hope that Newcastle beat Arsenal, otherwise they will qualify for the UEFA Europa League in fifth place.

Three points against Sunderland will also see Tottenham record their highest Premier League points total their record currently stands at 70 in 2009-10, but with Villas-Boas side currently sitting on 69 points they could beat that tally.

The 35-year-old remains positive that his side could still usurp their North London rivals, and was confident Alan Pardew s side would not give Arsenal an easy victory.

In the last game of…

Swansea City have made an approach to re-sign Wilfried Bony from Manchester City, according to espnfc.com.

The South Wales side are interested in taking the Ivory Coast international back to the Liberty Stadium two and a half years after selling him to the Citizens for £28.5m.

The twenty-eight year old has struggled to produce his best form for the Manchester side, scoring just ten goals for them in forty-six appearances in all competitions.

He spent last season on loan at Stoke City, but didn’t feature for them at all in 2017 after netting just twice in ten league outings.

Swansea signed him from Dutch Eredevise side Vitesse in the summer of 2013 and he gained acclaim after scoring thirty-five goals in seventy appearances over one and a half se…

Former Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has jokingly told Toni Kroos he might as well retire now after winning the Champions League for the third time in his career.

The Germany international was part of the Bayern team that won the treble under Heynckes in 2012-13, but whereas the Allianz Arena side have since failed to add another European title to their trophy cabinet, Kroos has lifted the trophy on another two occasions with Real Madrid.

Having also won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, Heynckes thinks it will not get much better for his former pupil and has suggested he might as well call it a day now.

Toni is 27 and has won the Champions League three times, won the treble with Bayern and lifted the World Cup with Germany, Heynckes was quoted as saying b…

Patrice Evra said Paul Pogba will stay at Manchester United, though he does not know how long the reported Real Madrid target will remain with the Premier League giants.

Pogba has been linked with a move away from United as Madrid and former club Juventus reportedly circle the French World Cup winner.

Madrid are keen to bring Pogba to the Santiago Bernabeu before the European transfer window shuts on September 2, though United are believed to want close to the world-record €222million fee Paris Saint-Germain paid Barcelona for Neymar in 2017.

Earlier this month, Evra claimed Pogba does not feel loved in Manchester, though the former Red Devils left-back advised his countryman to stay at United.

We can confirm that Alexis Sanchez joins Inter Milan on loa…